Taxi Council of WA chief executive Olwyn Williams recently told Fairfax that a recent survey of taxi drivers showed that 88 per cent of taxi drivers had dealt with fare evasion in the past year.

Mr Zemene who has been driving taxis for nine years, said he had been taking three men from Cockburn to Fremantle on Saturday night when they changed plans and asked to be taken to South Perth.

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"They'd been texting each other and I thought they might be planning something, I was suspicious," he said.

Mr Zemene said when he pulled up near the Windsor Hotel, two men hopped out of the car and ran away.

He was able to get out of the car and get a hold of the third man who had also tried to flee, and tell him to pay the $65 fare.

Mr Zemene said he argued with the man, telling him he must pay the fare but to no avail, until a woman waiting in line for a taxi threw her support behind him.

He said, in her own words she told the man to "show some respect" and pay the fare and he finally did.

Mr Zemene, who said he has to cover the cost of about three or four fares each weekend because people jump out without paying, said the incident reminded him that "there are some good people out there."

He said people often jumped out at traffic lights and ran away without paying.